Midrash Esther III: From Beginning To End

The word “Hu” is found five times in a bad sense and five times in a good sense. The five times in a bad sense are: “He, Nimrod, was a mighty hunter before the Lord.” Genesss 10:9; “This is Esau the father of the Edomites.” 36:43; “These are that Dathan and Abiram.” Numbers 26:9; “This same king Achaz.” Chronicles II 28:22; and, “this is Achashveirosh.”

Five times in a good sense, namely, “Abram the same is Abraham.” ChronicleI 1:27; “These are that Moses and Aaron.” Exodus 7:27, and “These are that Aaron and Moses.”; “And David was the youngest.” Samuel I 17:14; “Has not the same Hezekiah.” Chronicles II 32:12; “This Ezra went up from Babylon.” Ezra 7:6.

Rabbi Berechiah said in the name of the rabbis of Babylon; we have one better than all of them, namely, “He is God our Lord; His judgments are all in the earth,” (Psalms 60:7), implying that the attribute of mercy is everlasting.

Give me following a midrash that focuses on the King’s inconsistencies, the midrash offers us a list to lists one of five people who were bad from beginning to end, and a second list of five who were perfectly consistent in their goodness, from beginning to end. The Midrash concludes with a statement that the only One Who is truly consistent is God.

This Midrash stressing that all of the 10 people listed, whether good or evil, were who they were as a matter of choice. They either made a conscious decision to be good, or to be evil.

God, however, is different. God’s goodness is not a “choice.” God’s goodness is a reflection of His very essence.

Therefore, as the Children of Israel were considering how to respond to the story of the Book of Esther, and use it to prepare for their future, they understood that the only perfect consistency on which they would be able to rely over the ages would be God’s consistent attribute of mercy.